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Missouri River's identity crisis

The longest river in the US, the Missouri River, is in the grip of an identity crisis, as environmentalists, farmers, barge operators, Indian tribes and power companies debate its future.

Caught in the middle are the custodians of the river, the Army Corps of Engineers, who are trying to decide on the Missouri's future.

Taming the Big Muddy

American engineers began to tame the Big Muddy 66 years ago.

Half a dozen giant dams transformed the river from the confused jumble of savage snaps recounted by Mark Twain, to a serene highway of water through the American heartland.

Now barges ply the river 1,500 miles from the sea, bringing the bounty of midwestern farmers to market.

Construction of the system of dams provided jobs for GIs returning from World War II, substantial hydropower and a significant measure of flood control.

But today, the custodians of the river believe it is time to loosen the Missouri's straitjacket and restore parts of the ecosystem.

These dams have had dramatic environmental impact, said Rosemary Hargrave, project manager for the Missouri River.

"The dams have caused environmental consequences that at the time they were constructed were not in the frame of reference or even a national priority," she added.

Turning back time

Management and the system of dams funnelled the once slow, broad river into a swift, narrow channel suitable for use as a commercial waterway.

With the changing priorities of the Army Corps of Engineers, environmentalists see a once in a lifetime opportunity to turn back the clock.

They advocate returning the river to its natural, meandering ways.

"The hope is that by lowering summer water levels, endangered species like the piping plover and the least tern and the pallid plover will be given a chance to survive," said Gerald Mestl with the Nebraska Parks Commission.

The opposition

But on the quayside in Nebraska City, barge operators fear that changes in the water level of the Missouri could block navigation.

A large number of farmers along the river fear that the Missouri is already too deep and land is being swamped by water seeping from underground. And the system of dams has created reservoirs that support the leisure industry.

The Sioux Indian tribes are another powerful lobby group involved in the debate over the future course of the river.

A century ago, their ancestors owned most of the land along the Missouri, and the Supreme Court once ruled in their favour. Now, they have begun to reassert their long lost water rights.

With so many constituencies, forming a consensus is proving difficult, but the Missouri's make over will be out soon.

Internet Links

Army Corps of Engineers
Missouri River Master Plan
Guide to the Great Sioux Nation

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